Device for receiving a subassembly assigned to an optical fibre cable and for fastening the same to a mounting

ABSTRACT

A device for receiving a subassembly, in particular a furcation plug or a furcation adaptor, assigned to an optical fiber cable and for fastening the subassembly received on the device to a mounting, in particular to a wall of a distribution panel or distribution cabinet, via the device, with a bar-shaped basic body, there being formed on a topside of the basic body a guide element for receiving the subassembly assigned to the optical fiber cable, there being formed on an underside, in the region of mutually opposite ends of the basic body, anchoring elements, via which the device can be introduced into recesses of the mounting, whereby the guide element for receiving the subassembly comprises at least two protrusions forming latching elements which engage with shoulders or recesses formed in the subassembly to be received by the guide element when the subassembly is pushed into said guide element.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of International Application No.PCT/US10/36343 filed May 27, 2010, which claims the benefit of priorityto European Application No. 09007335.4, filed Jun. 3, 2009, bothapplications being incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present application relates to a device for receiving a subassembly,in particular a furcation plug or a furcation adaptor, assigned to anoptical fibre cable and for fastening the subassembly received on thedevice to a mounting via the device.

FIG. 1 shows a device, known from the prior art, for receiving asubassembly, in particular a furcation plug or a furcation adaptor,assigned to an optical fibre cable and for fastening the subassemblyreceived on the device to a mounting, particularly to a wall of adistribution panel or distribution cabinet via the device. The device10, shown in a side view in FIG. 1, has a bar-shaped basic body 11 witha topside 12 and with an underside 13. On the topside 12 of the basicbody 11 there is positioned a guide element being designed as guide rail14, which extends approximately parallel to the bar-shaped basic body 11and onto which, to receive the subassembly assigned to the optical fibrecable, the respective subassembly can be pushed in such a way that, whenthe subassembly is pushed onto the guide rail 14, the guide rail 14engages into a groove formed on the subassembly to be received. Asubassembly to be received on the device 10 is pushed onto the guiderail 14 in the direction of the arrow 15. The arrow 15 thereforeindicates the direction in which a subassembly to be received by thedevice 10 and assigned to an optical fibre cable is pushed onto theguide rail 14.

In the region of the underside 13 of the bar-shaped basic body 11,anchoring elements 16 and 17 are formed in the region of mutuallyopposite ends of the basic body 11.

At the rear end of the basic body 11, as seen in the push-on direction15, the anchoring element 16 is formed on the underside 13 of the basicbody 11. At the front end of the basic body 11, as seen in the push-ondirection 15, the anchoring element 17 is formed on the underside 13 ofthe basic body 11. Via the two anchoring elements 16, 17 the device 10is able to be introduced into recesses of a mounting, to which thedevice 10, together with the subassembly received by it and assigned tothe optical fibre cable, is to be fastened.

According to FIG. 1, the anchoring element 17 positioned at the frontend, as seen in the push-on direction 15, of the bar-shaped basic body11 is designed as an integral part of a stop 18 of U-shaped crosssection, this stop 18 being effective in the push-on direction 15 andtherefore, in the push-on direction 15, forming a stop for a subassemblyto be pushed onto the guide rail 14.

The device 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1 is known from U.S. Pat. No.7,330,629 B2.

SUMMARY

Against this background, a novel device for receiving a subassemblyassigned to an optical fibre cable and for fastening the subassemblyreceived on the device to a mounting via the device is provided allowingeasy installation of the subassembly to the device.

A novel device for receiving a subassembly assigned to an optical fibrecable and for fastening the subassembly received on the device to amounting via the device is defined in claim 1. According to claim 1 theguide element for receiving the subassembly comprises at least twoprotrusions forming latching elements which engage with shoulders orrecesses formed in the subassembly to be received by the guide elementwhen the subassembly is pushed into said guide element. The novel devicefor receiving a subassembly assigned to an optical fibre cable and forfastening the subassembly received on the device to a mounting via thedevice allows easy installation of the subassembly to the device.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description present embodiments, and are intendedto provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature andcharacter of the same. The accompanying drawings are included to providea further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated into andconstitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate variousembodiments, and together with the description serve to explain theprinciples and operation of the same.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Preferred embodiments of a device for receiving a subassembly assignedto an optical fibre cable and for fastening the subassembly received onthe device to a mounting via the device are given in the dependentclaims and the description below. Exemplary embodiments will beexplained in more detail with reference to the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a device, known from the prior art, for receiving asubassembly assigned to an optical fibre cable and for fastening thesubassembly received on the device to a mounting, in a side view;

FIG. 2 shows a novel device for receiving a subassembly assigned to anoptical fibre cable and for fastening the subassembly received on thedevice to a mounting, in a first perspective view;

FIG. 3 shows the device of FIG. 2 in a second perspective view;

FIG. 4 shows the device of FIGS. 2, 3 together with a subassemblyreceived by the device in a first perspective view; and

FIG. 5 shows the device of FIGS. 2, 3 together with the subassemblyreceived by the device in a second perspective view.

DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of thedisclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Whenever possible, like reference numbers will be used torefer to like components or parts.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show different views of a preferred embodiment of a device20 for receiving a subassembly, such as, for example, a furcation plugor a furcation adaptor, assigned to an optical fibre cable and forfastening the subassembly received on the device 20 to a mounting, suchas, for example, a wall of a distribution panel or distribution cabinet,via the device.

The device 20 according to FIGS. 2, 3 has a bar-shaped basic body 21with a topside 22 and with an underside 23. On the topside 22 of thebar-shaped basic body 21, a guide element 24 is formed which is designedto receive a subassembly, such as a furcation plug or a furcationadaptor, assigned to an optical fibre cable. Such a subassembly can bepushed into the guide element 24 in the direction of the arrow 25.

At mutually opposite ends of the bar-shaped basic body 21, anchoringelements 26 and 27 are formed, via which the device 20 can be fastenedto a mounting, in particular a wall of a distribution panel ordistribution cabinet.

The device 20 can be fastened to a mounting in such a way that theanchoring elements 26, 27 can be introduced in a barb-like manner intorecesses of the mountings and thus project into the recesses of themounting. The anchoring element 27 positioned at the front end of thebar-shaped basic body 23, as seen in the push-in direction 25, is formedas part of an element 28 having U-shaped cross section.

The element 28 being U-shaped is designed in such a way that a closedportion 29 of the latter is formed on the underside 23 of the bar-shapedbasic body 21 or projects with respect to the underside 23 of thebar-shaped basic body 21. When the device 20 together with a subassemblyreceived on the latter and assigned to the optical fibre cable, is to befastened to a mounting, the element 28 being U-shaped engages with theclosed portion 29 into a recess of the mounting. When a force is exertedon the element 28 in the push-in direction 25 the element 28 issubjected to a deformation in a way that the bar-shaped body 21ultimately arches and the anchoring elements 26, 27 of the latter areclamped in the region of the recesses of the mountings. There is then norisk that the anchoring elements 26, 27 jump out of the recesses of themountings inadvertently and the device 20 comes loose from the mountinginadvertently.

The guide element 24 of the device 20 comprises a bottom wall 30 formedby said bar-shaped basic body 21 and two opposite side walls 31, 32running perpendicular to said bottom wall 21. Said walls 30, 31 and 32of the guide element 24 define an interior 33 of the guide element 24. Asubassembly, such as a furcation plug or a furcation adaptor, assignedto an optical fibre cable can be pushed into the interior 33 of guideelement 24 in the push-in direction 25.

The guide element 24 for receiving the subassembly comprises at leasttwo protrusions 34 forming latching elements which engage with shouldersor recesses formed in the subassembly to be received by the guideelement 24 when the subassembly is pushed into said guide element 24.

FIGS. 4 and 5 both show the device 20 together with a subassembly,namely a furcation plug 36, received by the device 20. The protrusions34 forming said latching elements which engage with shoulders 37 formedin the furcation plug 36.

Said protrusions 34 forming said latching elements are assigned to theopposite side walls 31, 32 of the guide element 24 in a way that theyextend into said interior 33 of said guide element 24 so that theyengage into said shoulders or recesses formed in side walls of thesubassembly to be received by the interior of said guide element 24.

The protrusions 34 forming the latching elements run in parallel to saidbar-shaped basic body 21, whereby the distance d (see FIG. 2) betweenthe protrusions 34 assigned to the opposite side walls 31, 32 of theguide element 24 is decreasing as seen in the push-in direction 25 ofthe subassembly into the interior of said guide element 24. At the rearend of the basic body 21, as seen in the push-on direction 25, thedistance d between the protrusions 34 is larger than at the front end ofthe basic body 21. The protrusions 34 from a lead-in taper helping tostart the insertion of the subassembly in the device 20. In the shownembodiment, the distance d between the protrusions 34 decreases only ina portion of the protrusions 34, namely in a rear end portion, as seenin the push-on direction 25, in which the protrusions 34 from saidlead-in taper. The width w (see FIG. 2) of said protrusions 34 assignedto said opposite side walls 31, 32 is increasing as seen in the push-indirection 25 of the subassembly into the interior of said guide element25. Said increase of the width w of the protrusions 34 corresponds tosaid decrease of the distance d between the protrusions 34.

The thickness t (see FIG. 2) of the protrusions 34 assigned to saidopposite side walls 31, 32 is decreasing toward the interior 33 of theguide element 24 as seen in a direction 35 running perpendicular to thepush-in direction 25 of the subassembly into the interior 33 of saidguide element 24.

When a subassembly, such as a furcation plug or a furcation adaptor,assigned to an optical fibre cable is inserted or pushed in the interior33 of the guide element 24 in the push-in direction 25, the protrusions34 forming the latching elements flex outwardly to receive thesubassembly and then the protrusions 34 spring back and engage with theshoulders or recesses formed in the side walls of the subassembly inorder to secure the subassembly within the device 20. The protrusions 34are resiliently attached cantilever arms. With an increased insertion ofthe subassembly into the interior 33 of the guide element 24 theclamping force provided by protrusions 34 having the distance d, thewidth w and the thickness t to the subassembly is increasing. Thisallows an easy, durable and safe installation of the subassembly to thedevice 20.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the disclosure set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theinvention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the disclosure is not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. It isintended that the present disclosure cover the modifications andvariations of this invention provided they come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents. Although specific terms areemployed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense onlyand not for purposes of limitation.

We claim:
 1. A device for receiving a subassembly having a furcationplug or a furcation adaptor being a portion of an optical fibre cableand for fastening the subassembly received on the device to a mounting,via the device, the device having a bar-shaped basic body, there beingformed on a topside of the basic body a guide element for receiving thesubassembly, there being formed on an underside, in the region ofmutually opposite ends of the basic body, anchoring elements, via whichthe device can be introduced into recesses of the mounting, wherein theguide element for receiving the subassembly comprises at least twoprotrusions forming latching elements which engage with shoulders orrecesses formed in the subassembly to be received by the guide elementwhen the subassembly is pushed into the guide element, wherein theprotrusions forming the latching elements run in parallel to thebar-shaped basic body, whereby the distance between the protrusionsassigned to the opposite side walls is decreasing as seen in the push-indirection of the subassembly into the interior of the guide element. 2.The device according to claim 1, wherein the guide element comprises abottom wall and two opposite side walls running perpendicular to thebottom wall, the walls defining an interior of the guide element,whereby the at least two protrusions forming the latching elements areassigned to the opposite side walls in a way that they extend into theinterior of the guide element so that they engage into the shoulders orrecesses formed in side walls of the subassembly to be received by theinterior of the guide element.
 3. The device according to claim 1,wherein the protrusions forming latching elements run in parallel to thebar-shaped basic body, whereby the width of the protrusions assigned tothe opposite side walls is increasing as seen in the push-in directionof the subassembly into the interior of the guide element.
 4. The deviceaccording claim 1, wherein the anchoring element, which is assigned to afront end of the basic body as seen in the push-in direction of thesubassembly into the interior of the guide element, is an integral partof an element being U-shaped, whereby the element is designed in such away that a closed portion of the U-shaped element on the underside ofthe basic body projects with respect to the latter, in such a way that,when the subassembly received by the device is fastened to the mounting,the closed portion can be introduced into a recess of the mounting.
 5. Adevice for receiving a subassembly having a furcation plug or afurcation adaptor being a portion of an optical fibre cable and forfastening the subassembly received on the device to a mounting, via thedevice, the device having a bar-shaped basic body, there being formed ona topside of the basic body a guide element for receiving thesubassembly, there being formed on an underside, in the region ofmutually opposite ends of the basic body, anchoring elements, via whichthe device can be introduced into recesses of the mounting, wherein theguide element for receiving the subassembly comprises at least twoprotrusions forming latching elements which engage with shoulders orrecesses formed in the subassembly to be received by the guide elementwhen the subassembly is pushed into the guide element, wherein theprotrusions forming latching elements run in parallel to the bar-shapedbasic body, whereby the thickness of the protrusions assigned to theopposite side walls is decreasing as seen perpendicular to the push-indirection of the subassembly into the interior of the guide element.